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Net closing in on South Korea’s president as MPs get death threats over impeachment vote

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President Yoon Suk Yeol shocked the world with his attempt to impose martial law © Reuters
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The news is moving so quickly in South Korea, the papers can no longer keep up. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s shock attempt to impose martial law last Tuesday night was so short-lived it failed to make the front page. By the time he despatched the troops, the press had already gone to print. By the following day’s editions, the failed power-grab had already been defeated.

Within the week, the president has morphed from being contrite and apologetic, hoping to avoid impeachment, to brazenly defiant, vowing to fight on as the net closed in on him.

Banned from leaving the country while he is investigated for treason – a crime punishable by death – he is facing a second impeachment vote this weekend, as support from his party trickles away. Meanwhile, the roars of anger from the thousands of people on the street every night are getting louder.

For a short while this week it looked as if he had struck a deal with his party to stand down early, in return for them not booting him out of office in last Saturday’s vote. But as the week sped by, there was no sign of the president nor the details of such plan, and it gradually became obvious Yoon had zero intention of resigning.

On Thursday, he emerged obstinate. “I will fight until the end,” he declared, as he defended his decision to seize control of the country.

His speech was rambling and filled with unsubstantiated conspiracy theories, including a vague suggestion that North Korea could have rigged the previous elections, in which he had failed to win control of parliament. The parliament was a “monster”, he said; the opposition party “dangerous”, and he, by declaring martial law, was trying to protect the people and save democracy.

Yoon spent much of this week in hiding, while police attempted to raid his offices to gather evidence. To try and temper public anger, his party announced that he would not be allowed to make decisions going forward – even though legal experts agreed there was nothing in the constitution that allowed for this.

Protesters are angry with Yoon – and the MPs who are shielding him
© BBC

 

This has left everyone with the same, pressing question – who IS running the country? – especially as senior commanders of Yoon’s army have said they would defy his orders if he tried to impose martial law again.

There is now an unnerving power vacuum in a country that lives with the continuous threat of being attacked by North Korea. “There is no legal basis for this arrangement. We are in a dangerous and chaotic situation,” said Lim Ji-bong, a law professor at Sogang University.

It was evident to all those on the outside that this destabilising and bizarre situation could not be allowed to continue much longer. But it took the president’s party, the People Power Party (PPP), some time to realise Yoon’s impeachment was unavoidable.

Initially his party members protected him, eager to save their own political skins, and consumed by their hatred of South Korea’s opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, who they fear will become president if Yoon is removed. But on Thursday, after stalling for days, the PPP leader, Han Dong-hoon, came out to urge all MPs to impeach him. “The president must be suspended from office immediately,” he said.

MP Kim Sang-wook plans to vote against the president
© BBC

 

For the impeachment to pass, two-thirds of parliament must vote in favour, meaning eight ruling party MPs must join the opposition. A handful have so far declared their intention to do so. One of the first to change his mind was Kim Sang-wook. “The president is no longer qualified to lead the country, he is totally unfit,” he told the BBC from his office at the National Assembly.

But Kim said not all MPs would follow his lead; there is a core that will stay loyal to Yoon. In his very conservative constituency, Lee said he had received death threats for switching sides. “My party and supporters have called me a traitor,” he said, labelling South Korean politics as “intensely tribal”.

The vast majority of anger, however, has been directed at the MPs who have shielded Yoon up to this point.

At a protest on Wednesday night the chants had changed from merely “impeach Yoon” to “impeach Yoon, dissolve the party”.

“I hate them both so much right now, but I think I hate the MPs even more than the president,” said a 31-year-old graduate student Chang Yo-hoon, who had joined tens of thousands of others, in freezing temperatures, to voice his disillusionment.

Chang Yo-hoon (left) was among those attending the street protests
© BBC

 

All week, lawmakers have been bombarded with thousands of abusive messages and phone calls from the public, in what one member described to me as “phone terrorism”, while some have been sent funeral flowers.

Even if enough MPs vote to impeach Yoon this weekend, his party, now divided and widely detested, faces political oblivion. “We don’t even know who we are or what we stand for anymore,” one exasperated party official told me.

The defecting lawmaker Kim Sang-wook thinks it will take time to regain voters’ trust. “We will not disappear, but we need to rebuild ourselves from scratch,” he said. “There is a saying that South Korea’s economy and culture are first class, but its politics are third class. Now is the chance to reflect on that.”

Yoon has dealt a severe blow to South Korea’s reputation as a well-established, albeit young, democracy. There was pride when MPs swiftly overturned the president’s martial law decision, that the country’s democratic institutions were functioning after all. But the fragility of the system was exposed again, as the party manoeuvred to keep him in office, with the opposition branding this a “second coup”.

Traditional floral banners for a funeral have been sent to MPs as they consider how to vote
© News1

 

But Professor Yun Jeong-in, a research professor at Korea University’s Legal Research Institute, insisted the country was dealing with “an aberration, not a systemic failure of democracy”, pointing to the mass protests every night. “People are not panicking; they are fighting back. They see democracy as something that is rightfully theirs,” she said.

Damage has also been done to South Korea’s international relationships, and ironically to much of what Yoon wanted to achieve. He had a vison that South Korea would become a “global pivotal state”, playing a bigger role on the world stage. He even hoped to earn Seoul an invitation to join the elite group of G7 countries.

A Western diplomat told me they were hoping for a “swift resolution” to the crisis. “We need South Korea to be a stable partner. Impeachment would be a step in the right direction.”

If Yoon is suspended from office on Saturday, he will not leave without a fight. A prosecutor by trade, who knows the law inside out, he has decided he would rather be impeached, and challenge the decision when it goes to court, than go quietly. And the shockwaves he has set off are going to ripple through the country for years, perhaps decades, to follow.

Additional reporting by Jake Kwon and Hosu Lee.

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Trump signs order ending duty-free treatment for cheap shipments from China

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President Donald Trump of the United States on Wednesday signed an executive order that closes a trade loophole known as “de minimus” that has allowed low-value packages from China and Hong Kong to enter the United States free of duties.

Trump signed the order, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time May 2, in the Rose Garden of the White House after announcing sweeping new tariffs on global trading partners.

According to the the White House, the move came after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick certified adequate systems are in place to collect tariff revenue” on the shipments.

The White House said that imported goods from China and Hong Kong sent outside the international postal network and valued at or under $800 would now be subject to all applicable duties.

It added that Imported goods sent through the postal network and valued at or under $800 would now be subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item, with that rate increasing to $50 per item after June 1.

Recall that Trump had signed an initial order on February 1 ending duty-free entry for the cheap Chinese goods, but later paused the order because of logistical issues complicating the inspection of millions of the low-value shipments.

Ekwutosblog reports that the number of shipments entering the US through the duty-free route has exploded in recent years, reaching nearly 1.4 billion packages last year.

Trump campaigned on a promise to punish China for the role it has played in the synthetic opioid crisis that has killed more than 450,000 Americans in the last decade.

Trump’s order affecting de minimis parcels was paused on February 7 because there had not been sufficient time to prepare, with packages stacking up at ports of entry.

The White House said carriers transporting the Chinese and Hong Kong postal items must report shipment details to US Customs and Border Protection, CBP, maintain an international carrier bond to ensure duty payment, and remit duties to CBP on a set schedule.

 

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PDP chieftains in Katsina announce coalition to challenge APC in 2027

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Several chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina state have announced their intention to join a newly-formed opposition coalition aimed at challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
The PDP leaders, led by Dr. Mustapha Inuwa, made the declaration during a stakeholders’ meeting in Katsina on Tuesday.

Inuwa, a former Secretary to the Katsina State Government, confirmed that discussions for the formation of the coalition, which includes opposition parties like the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and People’s Redemption Party (PRP), have reached an advanced stage.

Though Inuwa did not explicitly mention joining Atiku Abubakar’s coalition, sources within the party revealed that the plans to align with the former PDP presidential candidate are finalised.

“We have commenced discussions with members of the NNPP, PRP, and even some prominent APC members to form a coalition for the 2027 election,” Inuwa stated.

Inuwa further added that some APC members, holding key positions within the federal and state governments, were supporting this movement.

The coalition’s members, comprising politicians from within and outside Katsina, are expected to soon finalize their choice of a political party to rally behind in the lead-up to the 2027 polls.

Prominent attendees of the meeting included former National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Umar Ibrahim Tsauri, former Senator representing Daura Zone, Ahmed Babba Kaiya, and Ahmed Musa Yar’adua.

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My Sallah visit was not a campaign – Akpoti-Uduaghan refutes claims

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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has dismissed allegations that her recent visit to her hometown was a political gathering. She clarified that her trip on Monday, April 1, 2025, was purely to celebrate Sallah with her constituents and had no political undertones.

Her response follows claims that she paid attendees to be present at the event—an assertion she described as baseless and misleading. “This was a celebration of unity and shared love, not politics,” Akpoti-Uduaghan stated. “The people who welcomed me did so of their own free will, and I deeply appreciate their sacrifice.”

Despite a government-imposed restriction on vehicular movement, thousands of supporters trekked long distances through bush paths to receive her with a heroic welcome. The senator, who arrived via chopper, was met with overwhelming cheers, reflecting the deep-rooted affection her people have for her. Some supporters were even attacked on their way but remained resolute in their desire to celebrate with her.

Akpoti-Uduaghan emphasized that the crowd consisted of residents from the five local government areas that make up Kogi Central, representing less than 3 percent of her overall supporters. She noted that the turnout was a testament to her enduring influence in the region.

Beyond the celebration, the senator’s visit also highlighted her contributions to the district’s development. The very road where the people gathered to welcome her was one she had facilitated and constructed years before becoming a senator. Her tenure has been marked by a strong commitment to infrastructure, empowerment programs, and social welfare initiatives that have transformed many lives.

Expressing gratitude for the massive show of support, Akpoti-Uduaghan reassured her constituents of her dedication to their welfare. “Your presence here today, despite the challenges, humbles me,” she said. “It only strengthens my resolve to continue working tirelessly for the progress of our land.”

The grand reception further reaffirmed her popularity in Kogi Central, countering the narratives pushed by political detractors.

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